Dietary Supplement :: Saw palmetto n benign prostatic hyperplasia BPH

A study published in today’s edition of New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) suggesting that the popular male herbal supplement saw palmetto marketed to ease problems associated with an enlarged prostate, is ineffective, has a number of flaws according to one of the dietary supplement industry’s leading trade associations, the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA).

Specifically, NNFA cited a substantial existing body of clinical studies, some with larger patient populations, that support the efficacy of this supplement for mild to moderate symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

“We need to remember that this is just one study – there are currently more than 20 clinical trials on saw palmetto, that have randomized over 3,000 subjects with durations of four to 48 weeks, most of which clearly support saw palmetto’s efficacy for mild to moderate symptoms of BPH, not moderate to severe as was indicated in this study,” said Daniel Fabricant, NNFA’s vice president of science and quality assurance. “In addition, despite the study authors’ own enthusiasm about their study design, there are areas that were not addressed that make their conclusions questionable.”